For several decades now, there have been few franchises as reliable as the Rocky movies. Sylvester Stallone just kept punching his way to the box office with one, two, three, six movies—and the series was given a new life with the more recent Creed spin-offs, starring Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed, son of Apollo. Just as you can always rely on the sun rising and setting, you can always rely on Stallone popping an old fedora on his head and getting back into character as the Philly boxing star.

Creed II is no exception, once again featuring Stallone as an aging Rocky who trains headstrong Adonis. Perhaps this is a mild spoiler—but the film doesn’t read as Rocky’s swan song. Yet Stallone has just made waves by saying precisely that, telling fans in an Instagram post on Wednesday that Creed II is the last time he’ll be playing Rocky.

“I am reposting this because there was a technical difficulty,” his caption began. “I just want to thank everyone around the whole wide World for taking the Rocky family into their hearts for over 40 years. It’s been my Ultimate privilege to have been able to create and play this meaningful character. Though it breaks my heart, Sadly all things must pass... and end. I love you Kind and generous people, and The most wonderful thing of all, is that ROCKY will never die because he lives on in you.”

The Instagram post itself is a video of Stallone on the Creed II set, delivering a speech to the cast and crew. “This is probably my last rodeo,” he says in the clip, reminiscing about the way the Rocky franchise has carried on over the years. “I thought Rocky was over in 2006, and I was very happy with that,” he says. But then Creed came along and re-lit the torch, taking the series in a new direction. “My story has been told,” Stallone continues. “There’s a whole new world that’s gonna be opening up,” thanks to director Steven Caple Jr. picking up where Ryan Coogler left off, and Creed star Michael B. Jordan. “Now you have to carry the mantle,” he tells Jordan, who comes over and embraces Stallone.

So, this is really it for Rocky Balboa? We’ll never see him again? We’re just supposed to accept that his story line ends in Creed II? How will that be explained if and when Creed III rolls around?? Knowing Stallone’s fondness for sequels (he’s making another Rambo, for crying out loud), perhaps someone will persuade him to change his mind. Never count Rocky out—that’s the moral of the franchise, right?

Damien Chazelle vs. Barry Jenkins

In the 2016-2017 awards season, the directors faced each other at every turn thanks to their respective films: La La Land, Chazelle’s cheery musical, and Moonlight, Jenkins’s searing coming-of-age drama. At the Oscars, both left with hardware—Chazelle nabbed best director, while Jenkins won best adapted screenplay and a producing statuette after Moonlight won best picture. This year, the duo find themselves in the same race again, with Chazelle’s First Man facing off against Jenkins’s If Beale Street Could Talk.

Photo: Left, by Kevin Winter; right, by Jason LaVeris, both from Getty Images.

Hilary Swank vs. Annette Bening

Due to the universe’s strange sense of humor, Bening and Swank have competed against each other twice for best-actress Oscars, in 2000 and 2005. Swank shocked the industry by winning both times—first, for Boys Don’t Cry, despite the fact that Bening seemed like a lock with her American Beauty performance, and next for Million Dollar Baby, edging out Bening’s turn in Being Julia.

Photo: Left, by Kurt Krieger/Corbis; right, by SGranitz, both from Getty Images.

Donald Glover vs. Bill Hader

It wasn’t terribly surprising to see critically adored faves Bill Hader and Donald Glover among the list of comedy nominees at the 2018 Emmys, thanks to their respective shows, Barry and Atlanta. What was surprising was that both of them were nominated in the same exact five categories: best actor in a comedy, best director for a comedy series, best comedy series (as producers), best writing for a comedy, and even best guest actor in a comedy series (both for hosting Saturday Night Live). Both were beat, at nearly every turn, by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel—but Hader managed to snag the best-actor win.

Photo: Photos by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

Jane Fonda vs. Katharine Hepburn

By the time they starred together in the 1981 family drama On Golden Pond, Hepburn had three Oscars and Fonda had two. Naturally, they both received nominations for that film for best actress and best supporting, respectively. Though they weren’t in the same category, Fonda realized later that Hepburn, who didn’t care for the Fonda family as a whole, still viewed her as competition. At that year’s Academy Awards, Hepburn ended up winning, but Fonda lost. “I called her the next day to congratulate her,” Fonda recalled years later in an interview. “You know what she said to me? ‘You’ll never catch me now.’ And it took me a second to realize what she was talking about. She’s so competitive. I had two, she had three. If she hadn’t won and I had, we’d be tied. Now she had four, there’s no way I’m going to catch up to her.”

Jack Klugman vs. Tony Randall

From 1971 to 1975, the Odd Couple stars faced off against each other at every single Emmys ceremony, both settling into the best-lead-actor-in-a-comedy category. Though they ran the risk of splitting the vote, neither ended the series run empty-handed. Klugman won twice, in 1971 and 1973, while Randall picked up the final win in 1975.

Photo: Photos from ABC/Getty Images.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus vs. Laurie Metcalf vs. Lisa Kudrow

When it comes to long-running, critically acclaimed sitcoms, you’re bound to see the same names competing against each other over and over again. But these three perennial nominees faced off against each other all through the 1990s in the best-supporting-actress-in-a-comedy category, thanks to the triumvirate of Seinfeld (Louis-Dreyfus), Roseanne (Metcalf), and Friends (Kudrow).

Let’s break it down: Louis-Dreyfus and Metcalf faced off from 1992 to 1994, which Metcalf won all three times. All three of them faced off in 1995 (and all beat out by Christine Baranski in Cybill). Louis-Dreyfus and Kudrow faced off in 1997 (when the award went to Kristen Johnston in 3rd Rock from the Sun) and 1998, which went to Kudrow. Fun fact: the duo also faced off again in the 2006 lead-actress category, with different projects; Louis-Dreyfus with The New Adventures of Old Christine and Kudrow with The Comeback. Louis-Dreyfus ended up taking this trophy home—a habit she would perfect with her Veep winning streak.

Photo: From left, by Dan Watson/ABC, by Kim Kulish/AFP, by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage, all from Getty Images.

Damien Chazelle vs. Barry Jenkins

In the 2016-2017 awards season, the directors faced each other at every turn thanks to their respective films: La La Land, Chazelle’s cheery musical, and Moonlight, Jenkins’s searing coming-of-age drama. At the Oscars, both left with hardware—Chazelle nabbed best director, while Jenkins won best adapted screenplay and a producing statuette after Moonlight won best picture. This year, the duo find themselves in the same race again, with Chazelle’s First Man facing off against Jenkins’s If Beale Street Could Talk.

Left, by Kevin Winter; right, by Jason LaVeris, both from Getty Images.

Hilary Swank vs. Annette Bening

Due to the universe’s strange sense of humor, Bening and Swank have competed against each other twice for best-actress Oscars, in 2000 and 2005. Swank shocked the industry by winning both times—first, for Boys Don’t Cry, despite the fact that Bening seemed like a lock with her American Beauty performance, and next for Million Dollar Baby, edging out Bening’s turn in Being Julia.

Left, by Kurt Krieger/Corbis; right, by SGranitz, both from Getty Images.

Donald Glover vs. Bill Hader

It wasn’t terribly surprising to see critically adored faves Bill Hader and Donald Glover among the list of comedy nominees at the 2018 Emmys, thanks to their respective shows, Barry and Atlanta. What was surprising was that both of them were nominated in the same exact five categories: best actor in a comedy, best director for a comedy series, best comedy series (as producers), best writing for a comedy, and even best guest actor in a comedy series (both for hosting Saturday Night Live). Both were beat, at nearly every turn, by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel—but Hader managed to snag the best-actor win.

Photos by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

Jane Fonda vs. Katharine Hepburn

By the time they starred together in the 1981 family drama On Golden Pond, Hepburn had three Oscars and Fonda had two. Naturally, they both received nominations for that film for best actress and best supporting, respectively. Though they weren’t in the same category, Fonda realized later that Hepburn, who didn’t care for the Fonda family as a whole, still viewed her as competition. At that year’s Academy Awards, Hepburn ended up winning, but Fonda lost. “I called her the next day to congratulate her,” Fonda recalled years later in an interview. “You know what she said to me? ‘You’ll never catch me now.’ And it took me a second to realize what she was talking about. She’s so competitive. I had two, she had three. If she hadn’t won and I had, we’d be tied. Now she had four, there’s no way I’m going to catch up to her.”

Left, from Bettmann; right, by Reg Innell/Toronto Star/Getty Images.

Jack Klugman vs. Tony Randall

From 1971 to 1975, the Odd Couple stars faced off against each other at every single Emmys ceremony, both settling into the best-lead-actor-in-a-comedy category. Though they ran the risk of splitting the vote, neither ended the series run empty-handed. Klugman won twice, in 1971 and 1973, while Randall picked up the final win in 1975.

Photos from ABC/Getty Images.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus vs. Laurie Metcalf vs. Lisa Kudrow

When it comes to long-running, critically acclaimed sitcoms, you’re bound to see the same names competing against each other over and over again. But these three perennial nominees faced off against each other all through the 1990s in the best-supporting-actress-in-a-comedy category, thanks to the triumvirate of Seinfeld (Louis-Dreyfus), Roseanne (Metcalf), and Friends (Kudrow).

Let’s break it down: Louis-Dreyfus and Metcalf faced off from 1992 to 1994, which Metcalf won all three times. All three of them faced off in 1995 (and all beat out by Christine Baranski in Cybill). Louis-Dreyfus and Kudrow faced off in 1997 (when the award went to Kristen Johnston in 3rd Rock from the Sun) and 1998, which went to Kudrow. Fun fact: the duo also faced off again in the 2006 lead-actress category, with different projects; Louis-Dreyfus with The New Adventures of Old Christine and Kudrow with The Comeback. Louis-Dreyfus ended up taking this trophy home—a habit she would perfect with her Veep winning streak.

From left, by Dan Watson/ABC, by Kim Kulish/AFP, by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage, all from Getty Images.